New Overtaking Video

[mjr]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2OThJK7g_k


What do you think? The events shown just happened during one of our shorter day trips (it was unusually bad) and then this "lowlights" video was produced partly in the hope it'll wake some motorists up and partly to support the calls from several groups for Norfolk Constabulary to start using cycle/dashboard camera footage.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

The situation where a car overtaking me into oncoming traffic puts us three abreast terrifies me because I know that the driver will always err towards hitting me than the oncoming truck. It's a horribly stupid piece of driving.

 

[mjr]

The situation where a car overtaking me into oncoming traffic puts us three abreast terrifies me because I know that the driver will always err towards hitting me than the oncoming truck. It's a horribly stupid piece of driving.

I agree, but actually in our video, the van driver looks closer to the truck than the first cyclist. I think I was told that there was some more aggro as the same driver attempted to pass a cyclist at a second traffic island but I was too far back to see or hear it (and so it's not on video).

 

[cosmicbike]

Sad to say that passes like those in the video are pretty 'normal', and most of them could have been avoided by better road positioning. When there's oncoming traffic and you don't think there's enough room to be passed, take the lane. You will 'delay' the driver for a few seconds, they may get a bit agitated, but in my experience tend to be quite accepting..

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I agree, but actually in our video, the van driver looks closer to the truck than the first cyclist.

Noted, however my reference was to that style of overtake in general, sorry if my mentioning the truck made it look otherwise.

In your example the van is closer to the truck but I know from experience that should the van driver, for whatever reason, feel the need to adjust his position, it will be to the detriment of the cyclist. It's a meat-in-the-sandwich manoeuvre which should always be avoided.

 

[mjr]

Sad to say that passes like those in the video are pretty 'normal', and most of them could have been avoided by better road positioning. When there's oncoming traffic and you don't think there's enough room to be passed, take the lane. You will 'delay' the driver for a few seconds, they may get a bit agitated, but in my experience tend to be quite accepting..

I think those stretches are an old S2 layout, so the lanes are 3.7m wide and I think it's physically impossible for a cyclist to take the lane, except at the traffic islands. A group could if doubled-up and I'll suggest that a bit more strongly when we next use that section on a day trip, but we can't force riders to do anything and it'll still be a problem for solo riders.

 

[Milkfloat]

I must be desensitised to close passes as non of those looked like close passes to me. They were not great passes, merely average.

 

[MarkF]

Ok some not so great driving, wherever, but those would be super duper instances of fabulous driving in Bradford, they'd use them in driving schools as examples to,. some day, hopefully aspire to.

I'd sleep easy if that was all I had to worry about on my commute. Now "normal" behaviour in rush hour.........

 

[Drago]

Erm, the 'How To Overtake' driver did so on the approach to a gentle left hander, limiting forward visibility. They also cut it fine with respect to an oncoming car - sure, there was no drama, but they left themselves nothing in reserves in terms of time or space if something had gone awry. They may have been courteous, but it wasn't a good example of roadcraft.

Whoever is making these videos and choosing examples to emulate really ought to seek the advice of an expert before proclaiming what's good or otherwise.

 

[mjr]

Erm, the 'How To Overtake' driver did so on the approach to a gentle left hander, limiting forward visibility.

The first one?

Whoever is making these videos and choosing examples to emulate really ought to seek the advice of an expert before proclaiming what's good or otherwise.

It's published for comment at the moment and can be recut a bit. Ask three experts and get four opinions, though.

 

[wheresthetorch]

"Clenchwarton".

 

[GGJ]

Rule 163 isn't clear enough and can easily be misread as follows

Rule 163... Give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car

When two vehicles pass on a narrow road they are often within a few inches of each other, yes both vehicles will be on opposite lanes but still a few inches from the 'other vehicle'. So this gives motorist the lack of awareness of what is actually required and they think it's safe to pass within a few inches. The Highway Code should be changed to state that overtaking vehicles should move out of the cyclists lane entirely onto the next lane before and during the overtake. There would be no confusion, no grey area and it would allow drivers a clear interpretation of rule 163

 

[hatler]

It should read

You should : -
give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as though they were a car

 

[Shut Up Legs]

It should read

You should : -
give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as though they were a car

That's just as bad as rule 163. The rule should be quantifiable, and should mention a specific number of feet of clearance. Then, in the event of a dispute, video evidence could be used if available to determine how much clearance was actually given.

It should also be enforced. As usual, Australia is setting a bad example to the rest of the world, by enacting a close-passing law that does mention a specific distance, except the number of successful prosecutions based on this law has been almost nil, so it's just a big, useless farce.

 

[mjr]

I'd sleep easy if that was all I had to worry about on my commute. Now "normal" behaviour in rush hour.........

Yeah, they do that around here too, drive along two wheels up on the cycle track, just to get past people starting to split into the right-turn lane when they want to go straight ahead:

Completely futile, as the right-turn and straight-ahead lights both go green together. Hope the kerb scratched their stupid alloys (alloys on a Landy so that'll be doing gnarly off-road lots, then!)

Shoot like that is a good argument for French-style posts along the kerbs, and cycle tracks to be constructed as full-strength road lanes (but at a raised level), just in case the nobbers still bludgeon their way onto them, or in case emergency vehicles want to use them to get past jams.